home

ares.exe.exe

Offercast - APN Install Manager

Ask.com

This installer is part of the Ask.com (APN) network which will install the Ask.com branded toolbar or browser extension which will take control of the web browser's search functions. The application ares.exe.exe by Ask.com has been detected as a potentially unwanted program by 2 anti-malware scanners. The program is a setup application that uses the Offercast APN Install Manager installer. This version of the installer will bundle the Ask.com Toolbar, a potentially unwanted web browser extension. The file has been seen being downloaded from ak.pipoffers.apnpartners.com and multiple other hosts.
Publisher:
Ask.com  (signed and verified)

Product:
Offercast - APN Install Manager

Version:
3.10.0.18770

MD5:
0cf0a1e2b57490fa58f98844ea9492fd

SHA-1:
bf8b2a55e52c7fb3875b215f49075a6257279261

SHA-256:
f0d73ea33dad258964eea5a459095ed30a8a96a6a7d06d53cb9800e6477b57a8

Scanner detections:
2 / 68

Status:
Potentially unwanted

Explanation:
This is the APN Offercast install manager which will offer the user to opt-out of installing the Ask.com Toolbar as part of the setup routine.

Analysis date:
11/27/2024 3:44:33 AM UTC  (today)

Scan engine
Detection
Engine version

ESET NOD32
Win32/Bundled.Toolbar.Ask.G potentially unsafe application
10.7.0.302.0

Reason Heuristics
PUP.Ask.Installer (M)
16.1.14.12

File size:
996.6 KB (1,020,512 bytes)

Product version:
3.10.0.18770

Copyright:
2010: (c) Ask.com. All rights reserved.

Original file name:
APNInstaller.exe

File type:
Executable application (Win32 EXE)

Installer:
Offercast APN Install Manager

Language:
English (United States)

Common path:
C:\users\{user}\downloads\ares.exe.exe

Digital Signature
Signed by:
Ask.com

Authority:
Symantec Corporation

Valid from:
9/7/2015 9:00:00 PM

Valid to:
7/31/2016 8:59:59 PM

Subject:
CN=Ask.com, O=Ask.com, L=Oakland, S=California, C=US

Issuer:
CN=Symantec Class 3 SHA256 Code Signing CA, OU=Symantec Trust Network, O=Symantec Corporation, C=US

Serial number:
10B9E2525844B965BFD1932E5265E605

File PE Metadata
Compilation timestamp:
12/14/2015 5:42:39 PM

OS version:
5.1

OS bitness:
Win32

Subsystem:
Windows GUI

Linker version:
12.0

CTPH (ssdeep):
24576:A9umdkXaRAxWgKD8Il6Qn642dQQINtmmgesjNT7Q3Vfe35u:yJkqSkgKVko0INtn+d7yFUu

Entry address:
0xA11E

Entry point:
E8, 43, 51, 00, 00, E9, 7F, FE, FF, FF, E8, D0, 10, 00, 00, 85, C0, 75, 06, B8, 74, 01, 42, 00, C3, 83, C0, 0C, C3, 55, 8B, EC, 56, E8, E4, FF, FF, FF, 8B, 4D, 08, 51, 89, 08, E8, 20, 00, 00, 00, 59, 8B, F0, E8, 05, 00, 00, 00, 89, 30, 5E, 5D, C3, E8, 9C, 10, 00, 00, 85, C0, 75, 06, B8, 70, 01, 42, 00, C3, 83, C0, 08, C3, 55, 8B, EC, 8B, 4D, 08, 33, C0, 3B, 0C, C5, 08, 00, 42, 00, 74, 27, 40, 83, F8, 2D, 72, F1, 8D, 41, ED, 83, F8, 11, 77, 05, 6A, 0D, 58, 5D, C3, 8D, 81, 44, FF, FF, FF, 6A, 0E, 59, 3B, C8...
 
[+]

Code size:
92 KB (94,208 bytes)

The file ares.exe.exe has been seen being distributed by the following 2 URLs.

https://ak.pipoffers.apnpartners.com/static/partners/.../OffercastInstaller.exe

http://tomsguide.digidip.net/visit?url=https://ak.pipoffers.apnpartners.com/static/partners/ASG/OffercastInstaller.exe&ppref=http://.../Galaxy-Ares,0301-1436.html

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